Do you think LGBT characters will feature more prominently?

[borgboy]

I love seeing a Dante's Cove reference from you of all people Guy, but I can think of a few straight characters even on Dante's Cove.
Grace played by Tracy Scoggins was straight, and she was one of the main characters. Her mother seemed straight to me, and there were Kevin's parents. I'm pretty sure there were a couple of straight girls hanging around uselessly in the first season too.
But thank you for your sane and logical points about the statistics of gay death rates.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

their sex buddies get whacked.

That made me giggle for all the wrong reasons. I really should get my head out the gutter.

 

[TheSubCommander]

My opinion is that there's a very good chance that there will be a LGBTQ main character. All the other sci fi franchises have beat Star Trek to the punch: BSG, Firefly, Stargate, Babylon 5 and while I don't watch the show to know for sure, I've heard Dr. Who. So, it makes sense to me that especially for a Star Trek that airs online, to have an gay/lesbian/bi character.

I don't know said character will necessarily be the captain, but I could see them being the first officer. And if I were a betting man, they will be a lesbian or a bisexual woman. So, sorry to you guys wanting a gay male lead, and that is not to say that a gay male may not show up on the show as a supporting character. But that would be the "safest" choice (not that a gay male lead would bother me at all, just saying that is how producers would see it). That is what all the franchises above went with. The reason I say that is because when it comes to TV, socially, lesbian and bi women are accepted a lot more easily:

Most straight men: love to see lesbians making out, but if they saw a gay men doing the same, most would at least be uncomfortable, if not have a strong negative reaction.
Most straight women: are usually indifferent, or don't have a strong reaction to lesbians, like a lot of straight guys do to gay men.
Most lesbian/bi women: for obvious reasons.
Most gay/bi men: support it because at least someone in the LGBTQ is being portrayed on TV.

 

[borgboy]

That sci fi has done so many more prominent lesbians/bi women seems like a good reason for Trek to have a gay male lead. I wouldn't object to one of each or more. Outside of the main cast there should be fair diversity among the supporting characters as well.
It would be amazing to get an accurate take on the novels' four gendered Andorians.

 

[Destructor]

I would prefer Star Trek be free of discussions about "safe spaces" and "cis genders", or whatever new manufactured outrages the Left can come up with./

You're being overtly and needlessly political- go to TNZ if you want to rant about the left. Star Trek has always used science fiction as a metaphor for contemporary issues. Always. If you're not interested in a show that does this, why are you remotely interested in what the new show does?

 

[Guy Gardener]

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[fireproof78]

You're being overtly and needlessly political- go to TNZ if you want to rant about the left. Star Trek has always used science fiction as a metaphor for contemporary issues. Always. If you're not interested in a show that does this, why are you remotely interested in what the new show does?

Because some just enjoy space ships?

I'll leave the political stuff alone, mostly because it feels like it will turn in to a mud slinging contest. I don't agree with much of Trek's politics, but I certainly can still enjoy it, just like I don't agree with Doctor Who, but can still enjoy how they have written their characters. If the characters are well written, and the story well done, then the sexual politics is my least concern.

 

[Vance]

I think the difference and concern about such themes in a new show is that they would be handled from set perspective that is 'correct' and that it comes off as more of a lecture than discussion. TNG could be extremely preachy at times and several episode had Picard and crew with the 'solution' all along and just waited/forced it until they won. There was little discussion on the morality, there was an assumption of morality...

In TOS, by contrast, we had a setup that allowed looking at issues from various points of view. Spock and McCoy would go at it, and Kirk - after listening and respecting their viewpoints - would try to find a solution that would for for that situation for that moment. They openly acknowledged that it wasn't perfect, and sometimes the choices were the best of terrible options. But it also made the world and characters of TOS feel all the more real for it.

 

[fireproof78]

I think the difference and concern about such themes in a new show is that they would be handled from set perspective that is 'correct' and that it comes off as more of a lecture than discussion. TNG could be extremely preachy at times and several episode had Picard and crew with the 'solution' all along and just waited/forced it until they won. There was little discussion on the morality, there was an assumption of morality...

In TOS, by contrast, we had a setup that allowed looking at issues from various points of view. Spock and McCoy would go at it, and Kirk - after listening and respecting their viewpoints - would try to find a solution that would for for that situation for that moment. They openly acknowledged that it wasn't perfect, and sometimes the choices were the best of terrible options. But it also made the world and characters of TOS feel all the more real for it.

Well said.

 

[Brainsucker]

gay lovers are already a yesterday issue. There are already a lot of shows that show same sex relationship Some even show explicit nudity / sex. . So, what make Star Trek looks special when they just following the trend that is already started by another show? They can put that in or not, I don't care. it's the same anyway. It's already there. So it's not something that we should think as special.

But if you guys want something novelty, just go to man marry his dog, or a human female want to marry her horse. I want to know if that kind of sexuality will make Star Trek revolutionary, or... make people think that they are sick. Well, in trek era when humanity have meet another species that is basically very different than us, that kind of sexuality can emerge. Alien is basically a different species. Unfortunately in our mind, we still think that the Alien in Star Trek are just an actor / actress wear costume and mask.

So now, throw that image far-far away from your mind. And think, that the aliens are creatures that different than human. The intermarriage between human and Vulcan or Klingon and Dax that has been shown in Star Trek were tolerable by our mind just because they are basically a human being marry an actress (which is also human) in costume

So, what if they (the Alien) are very different from us? Just imagine that you watch Riply ( from the Alien) marry a Predator or the Alien, and love each other. Or A marine marry the bug in Starship Trooper. Or maybe Princess Leia marry the small creature from Star Wars VI?

Then the issue like a man marry a dog or a woman marry a horse will become something that common in Star Trek Era. The question is, are we ready for that? or we are all just the intolerable bigot?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

^ I think the sentience and consent of both parties would be the deciding factor in interspecies relationships. Since a dog/horse cannot give informed consent to such things then it would probably be seen as something "taboo".

 

[borgboy]

I worry about people who don't understand the difference between consenting sex between adults and abusing animals.
Yes, sentience and consent are essential.
The topic is LGBT characters. If you want to discuss beastiality please start your own thread instead of highjacking this one please.

 

[TwoJakes]

what make Star Trek looks special when they just following the trend that is already started by another show?

Not really a matter of "looking special," nor about being a trend setter. At this point, with so many shows and movies correctly depicting LGBT as a regular part of the landscape, for Star Trek to leave such characters out would be a deliberate decision on the part of the production team too do so.

Or maybe Princess Leia marry the small creature from Star Wars VI?

You mean a Ewok? My understanding is the Ewoks were fully sapient beings at a very early part of their technological development, comparable to our own ancesters (in some cases only a few centuries ago).

Should they both have chosen too, there would have been absolutely nothing in the least wrong with Leia marrying a Ewok.

Some woman like a man with body hair, my wife does.

 

[Brainsucker]

^ I think the sentience and consent of both parties would be the deciding factor in interspecies relationships. Since a dog/horse cannot give informed consent to such things then it would probably be seen as something "taboo".

but it is not today time. It's 24th century mystical time. Who know those people who have that kind of sexual orientation was able to raise the animal brain, and they consent to each other? It doesn't matter.

The point is, I don't see why LGBT or Animal thing are considered as special or need to be given a special treatment. They just people who has different sexual preference than the hetero people. So why trek needs to make LGBT characters special? Whatever Trek will put LGBT characters or not, it doesn't matter.

But there is one thing that I want to say. Whatever it is LGBT or hetero, Star Trek is not tagged as mature. So be aware that Children are also watching it. Just don't rob our beloved Franchise from them. I just hate it when Star Trek Enterprise put some sexual suggestion in it, made me stop my children from watching it.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Because if it's not given special treatment, it's given no treatment. We're not at a position culturally where LGBT just happens organically without massive resistance and push back.

Tomorrow someone with power could say, "We have proven that we are Tolerant, so no more blacks or women on TV, thank goodness. Let's make America great again!"

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

The point is, I don't see why LGBT or Animal thing are considered as special or need to be given a special treatment. They just people who has different sexual preference than the hetero people. So why trek needs to make LGBT characters special? Whatever Trek will put LGBT characters or not, it doesn't matter.

I'm not asking for special treatment of LGBT in Trek, I'm simply asking for inclusion and representation. With recent events in mind it's even more crucial that different orientations are included, their love and relationships celebrated just the same way as heterosexual ones have been for the last 50 years in Trek.

But there is one thing that I want to say. Whatever it is LGBT or hetero, Star Trek is not tagged as mature. So be aware that Children are also watching it. Just don't rob our beloved Franchise from them. I just hate it when Star Trek Enterprise put some sexual suggestion in it, made me stop my children from watching it.

Look at how Doctor Who has included LGBT characters, weaving them in without great pomp or ceremony--and it is still very much a show for the family (especially children).

 

[Brainsucker]

I'm not asking for special treatment of LGBT in Trek, I'm simply asking for inclusion and representation. With recent events in mind it's even more crucial that different orientations are included, their love and relationships celebrated just the same way as heterosexual ones have been for the last 50 years in Trek.

Look at how Doctor Who has included LGBT characters, weaving them in without great pomp or ceremony--and it is still very much a show for the family (especially children).

As long as it's a show for the family, I'm okay with that. I want to introduce star trek to my children. Just like I was introduced to Star Trek when I was a kid back then.

 

[borgboy]

Why not start by watching TOS, TNG, etc?

 

[fireproof78]

I'm not asking for special treatment of LGBT in Trek, I'm simply asking for inclusion and representation. With recent events in mind it's even more crucial that different orientations are included, their love and relationships celebrated just the same way as heterosexual ones have been for the last 50 years in Trek.


Look at how Doctor Who has included LGBT characters, weaving them in without great pomp or ceremony--and it is still very much a show for the family (especially children).

I like the way Doctor Who has done it, without the pomp, as you say, but I wouldn't call DW a "children's show." At least, not for my kids. I know it started out as such, but the new Who stuff definitely takes a different turn.

So, representation? Sure. Declaring that Star Trek is so progressive that they dained to let LGBT character on their show? That ship has sailed.

 

[borgboy]

I'm pretty sure new Who is wildly popular with children in the UK. I've read a fair amount about that, including that they wouldn't let Torchwood use the Doctor is a guest role because they didn't want to entice Who;s younger audience to watch the more adult Torchwood.
While having a gay supporting character on Trek wouldn't be seen as all that progressive, having a gay captain probably would still qualify. US sci fi hasn't really embraced a gay male lead yet. But not having any gay characters at this point would be regressive.